Limitations are not a bad thing writers

I know the thought of complete creative freedom sounds like bliss, but creating parameters for your writing isn’t a bad thing. It’s a way to focus your energy so you can better predict your output.

So what do I mean by parameters? If you’re writing a novel, an outline is a good example. While some authors may look at an outline as something that restricts their freedom and spontaneity, I’d argue the opposite.

Creating an outline provides the borders you need to operate. Establishing those borders is important because it helps focus the direction of your story. And when you’re writing a story you hope others will read and enjoy, the story needs to be clear, it needs to be concise and the reader needs to get it. Those outcomes become more difficult if you’re creating without the foundation that an outline provides.

It’s also important to remember that establishing parameters doesn’t mean you always need to operate within them. Sticking with the outline example, once you establish a foundation for the direction of your story, you’re free to colour outside the lines. The benefit is that you’ll know you’re colouring outside the lines. And knowing this helps you better control and predict plot, character development and the overall tone of your story.

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MORE FROM CRY

Have you read my novella Thoughts of a Fractured Soul? If you haven’t, here’s a short description:

Corey is reflecting on his life as a teenager who has just had his first child. He relives his story through a series of fragmented memories, pieces of sporadic thought capturing moments of his life as he tries to care for his family. But Corey is failing, and as he continues to struggle he realizes how easily the world can fracture his ambitions and force him to settle for a life of mediocrity. Thoughts of a Fractured Soul pushes the reader to piece together these fragments themselves, and decide on what part of Corey’s conflicting tale can be trusted.

Limitations are not a bad thing writers was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.